Building construction



June 26 1928.

J. A. BEASLEY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IITII Baas INVENTOR cibseph ATTORNEY June 26, 1928.

' .J. A. BEASLEY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION INVENTOR dieeph .fi. Beasley ATTORN EY June 26, 1928.

J. A. BEASLE Y BUILDINGCONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 19'. 19,27

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Jbseph f1. fieasZe/y ATTO R N EY June 26, 1928. 1,675,243

J. A 'BEASLEY 7 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 19. 1927 4 gpeets-sneei .4

INVENTOR ATTOIRNEY Patented June 26, 1928.

UNITED STATES VPYATENTV'OFFICE.

Josnrn A. BEASLEY, or TAMPA, FLORIDA, nssrenon T0 MARTHAVANDERSON BnAsLEY, OFTAMPA, FLORIDA.

7 BUILDING cons'rnuc'rron.

Application filed September 19, 1927. Serial No. 220,514.

This invention relates to building units,

the general' object of the invention being to provide means whereby a structure can be easily and quickly erected by unskilled labor, without the use of nails or other fastening means and without the use of tools, the invention being useful. for constructing vertical walls, floors, ceilings and the like.

Another object of the invention is that the units form a structure which provides its own arch or bridge in floors as well as walls and when used in walls, will plumb and level themselves to the plane of the foundation without the use of plumbing or leveling instruments.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide interlocking ineans between the various units which not only acts to firmly hold the component parts of a structure together, but it also acts to center the stresses and strains so that the greater the strain, the more firmly the units will be pressed together.

Astill further object of the invention is to so arrange the units that they will bridge openings, formed in the structure without necessitating auxiliary supporting means for that portion of the wall above the opening and by slightly changing the shape of the units around the openings lintels, jambs and the like can be formed by the units.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the units with transverse and vertical openings which will register with each other when the units are placed in the wall so as to provide air spaces. i

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Indescribing my invention in detail, reference willbe had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the sev- Figure 3 is a section on line'33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1. 1

Figure 5 is an end View of one of the units.

Figure 6 is a side view of one of the units,

,looking toward the bar side.

Figurev 7 is an edge View showing the block provided with grooves for sealing material.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a corner forming unit. c

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a female corner forming unit.

Figure 10 is a View of a frame forming unit with its wedges.

Figure 11 is a view showing how one unit at one side of a wall is locked to four units at the other side of'a wall,

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic view showing how a floor may be connected with a wall.

edges.

As shown in these views, the structure is composed of a plurality {of units A, each unit comprising a slab part 1, a longitudt nally extending keystone shaped bar 2 and the transversely-extending keystone bars 3.

The bar 2 may be connected with the inner face of the slab 1 by a neck 4 or the said bar 2 may be fastened to the outer parts of the;

bars 3. The outer faces and edges of the bars 3 taper toward the edges of the unit and the side and bottomwalls of the spaces between said bars 3 are beveledinwardly so as to receive the bars .3 of a contacting unit. The edges of the slab and the ends of the bars 3 are beveled, as shown at 5, so that the bar 2 of another unit will interlock with the slab part of the unit on whichit is placed, as clearly shown in Figure 4:. If desired, the

bevel 5 may start a slight distance from the outer face of the slab, as shown in Figure 8, but in this case, portions of .the ends of the bars 3 must be left square to accommodate the flat portions of the bars 2. The end of each unit is arranged on an incline from the vertical, as shown at 6'.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a wall constructed of these units will have each face thereof composed of the slabs 1 and the bars 2, there being arow of bars 2 between the upper and lower row of slabs 1, as clearly shown in Figure 1. The beveled edgesof the slabs and bars set up an interlocking ei'igageinent between the adjacent rows of units and the units of adjacent rows are also firmly locked together by the interlocking bars 3. As shown in Figure 11, each unit of one row is'interlocked with four units of adjacent rows. By having the ends or the units inclined, as shown, the units cannot be removed after being put in place unless one starts at the lastunitput in place and works backwardly.

It will also be seen that'tlie units are so locked together that they will bridge openiiigs, such as window and door openings formed in the wall, and need no auxiliary supports. it will also be seen that the strains and stresses upon the structure will be centralized due to the keystone bars of one row of units being placed between the beveled edges of the slabs oi? the two adjacent rows oi? units, which tends to move all the units inwardly. In fact, the entire unit 'l'orms a keystonewith small keystones for locking the keystone unit to other units. As shown in Figure ll, the inclined ends of the slabs on one face of the wall are oppositely I arranged to those of the slabs on the other side oi the wall, thus setting up an interlocking of the parts. The angles On the ends of tlie unitson one side of the wall form keystones .iii relation to the angles on the ends of the units on opposite side of thewall, thus i'orii'iing a double flat arch in said .wall, causing the" interlocked keystones. 3 of units on both sides of wall to form a fiat arch running lengthwise in said wall. Instead of having the ends of the units inclined, they mav be made square or straight, as shown at 6 in Figure 13, but in thiscase, the small keystones 3' must be arranged on an incline to secure the interlocking eit'ect.

. ()ne of the corner forming units is shown at B, this member being the male member and is shown in detail in Figure 8, while the teinale corner unit is shown at C and in detail in'Figure 9. A pair oi keystone bars 3 of theinale member B is diagonally arranged at the'corner unit, while the unit or ii'ieiiiber is formed with a pair of diagonal- 1y arranged recesses 7 tor receiving the keystones 3. Thus a corner oi? the structure can be easily provided with these male and female units.

the slabl and the keystone bar 2'.

to seal and bind them together.

a' window or door frame can be attached thereto. A Wedge member E is used to fill in the space between the complete unit A and the frame forming units D at the sides of the opening, as shown in Figures 1 and 10.

These wedges are provided with dovetail or Fi 'ure 12 shows how a floor or horizontal.

part may be joined to a wall or vertical part X by a unit G. This unit is made similar to the unit A, but in addition, it is formed on the Outer face of its slab part with a half slab l and with a half keystone 2" so that these parts will engage portions of an ordinary unit A when this unit is placed horizontally and the unit G is vertically placed. Of course, the half slab in this construction and in the units D and F carry the lateral keystones. V The units may beprovided with the longitudinally extending openings 11 and lateral openings 12 may be provided in the units if desired, to furnish vertical and horizontal air passages to ventilate the structure and also, if desired, grooves or channels 13 may be formed in the units so that a. sealing preparation may be poured between the units Holes 13' are provided to convey the sealing material to the channels.

These units can be used for building structures of various kinds, and in addition to the ordinary uses, they may be used for building levees, breastworks, emergency buildings and the like. As will be seen, the

structure can be added to as desired by simply continuing where left off and adding other rows to increase the height of the structure. The units can also be used for making floors and other horizontal structures, as shown in Figure 12.

As shown in the drawings, some of the units may be formedwith one straight end so as to enable the last unit in the course or row to be put in place, the first unit and the last unit having these strai ht ends. However, if a window or door or ot eropening intersects the course or row, these straight end units are not necessary." f

Special attention is called to the fact that a wall constructed of these units is selfbracing horizontally, vertically and through l the thickness of wall and that all stresses and strains are directed by the units to the center of the'wall.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of In invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A structure forming unit comprising a slab part, a key part, means on the inner face of the slabpart for locking the same to a slab part of another unit, such means comprising keystone shaped projections on the inner face of theslab part.

2. A structure forming unit comprising a slab part, a key part, means on the inner face of the slab part for locking the same to a slab part of another unit, such means comprising keystone shaped projections on the inner face of the slab part, each projection tapering from the key part to the edge of the slab part.

3. A structure forming unit comprising a slab part, transversely arranged keystone forming members on the inner face of the slab part, a keystone bar connected with the central portions of the transverse keystone forming members, the side edges of the slab part being shaped to fit the keystone bar of another unit.

4E. A structure forming unit comprising a slab part, transversely arranged keystone forming members on the inner face of the slab part, a keystone bar connected with the central portions of the transverse. keystone forming members, the side edges of the slab part being shaped to fit the keystone bar of another unit, and the ends of the unit being arranged on parallel inclines.

5. A structure comprising a plurality of units, each unit consisting of a slab section, transversely arranged keystone bars thereon, a longitudinally extending keystone bar on the transverse bars, the transverse bars of one unit engaging the spaces between the transverse bars of adjacent units, said transverse bars tapering from the longitudinal bar to their outer ends.

6. A structure comprising a plurality of 7 A structure comprising'a plurality of 7 one unit engaging the spaces between the transverse bars of adjacent units, said transverse bars tapering from the longitudinal bar to their outer ends, some of the units having frame forming parts thereon and wedge-shaped members for filling the spaces between the regular units and the frame forming units.

8. A structure comprising a plurality of units, each unit consisting of a slab section, transversely arranged keystone bars thereon, a longitudinally extending keystone bar on the transverse bars, the transverse bars of one unit engaging the spaces between the transverse bars of adjacent units, said transverse bars tapering from the longitudinal bar to their outer ends, some of the units being corner ones with the transverse keystone bar at the corner thereof being obliquely arranged and with other corner units having obliquely arranged sockets for receiving these obliquely arranged bars.

9. A structure comprising a plurality of units, each unit consisting of a slab section, transversely arranged keystone bars thereon, a longitudinally extending keystone bar on the transverse bars, the transverse bars of one unit engaging the spaces between the transverse bars of adjacent units, said transverse bars tapering from the longitudinal bar to their outer ends and means on some of the units for connecting a second course of units to the first course.

10. A structure comprising a plurality 0 transverse bars of adjacent units, said trans Verse bars taperlng from the longitudinal bar to their outer ends and means for permitting sealing material to be placed between the contacting parts of the units.

11. A structure forming unit comprising a slab part, means connected with the inner face of the slab part for locking the same to the slab part of another unit, and a base forming key part on the locking means.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature.

JOSEPH A. BEASLEY. 

